Times' male athlete of the year, north: Andy Heater, Snohomish
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SNOHOMISH - Andy Heater hardly knew what to make of his new hometown when he and his family arrived in Snohomish two summers ago.
"It was a little town," Heater said of the move. "I didn't know what to expect. But this is probably the greatest experience of my life."
In two years at Snohomish High School, Heater became part of the grand athletic tradition of a school and a town that loves its sports.
Heater, 19, soon will trade in the red and white of the Panthers for the purple and gold of the University of Washington. He has a scholarship to play football for the Huskies next season.
After a junior year of adjusting to life in a one-school town and different situations in football and baseball, Heater enjoyed an outstanding senior year at Snohomish, where he was named first-team All-WesCo 4A in football at both linebacker and tight end. When the football season ended, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound weightroom fanatic signed with Washington. Then, after Heater wavered on whether to turn out for baseball, he ended his senior year hitting .399 for the WesCo North Division-champion Panthers and was a first-team, All-WesCo North selection as a designated hitter.
"Not many people get to play sports in two states," said Heater, whose family came to Snohomish from Colorado when his father, Chuck, joined Coach Rick Neuheisel's football staff at the UW. "I felt fortunate to come out here and become successful."
Heater's success and dedication landed him on the Star Times' all-area football team, and now he is the Times' Prep Male Athlete of the Year for Snohomish and north King counties.
Baseball, which Heater has played since age 5 and is considering playing at the UW, is over for now, but his high-school sports experience isn't quite finished. Heater reports to practice in Kennewick for the Class 4A-3A East-West All-State football game June 22.
In football, Heater caught 14 passes for 257 yards his senior season on a Panther team that mostly ran the ball. He scored five touchdowns, and on defense, made 75 tackles. His breakout game came against Kentwood in a memorable state-playoff contest, when Heater had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
"Somehow, Snohomish had to face No. 1's in football and baseball," Heater said, referring to the Panthers' hard-fought loss to state semifinalist Kentwood in football and 4-3 loss to eventual state champion Federal Way in the baseball playoffs.
In baseball, Heater drove in 14 runs and scored 12, with three home runs. "He was our go-to guy, as far as clutch hits," Panther Coach Kim Hammons said.
José Miguel Romero can be reached at 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com.